Vintage Vehicles Shine at Nairobi Racecourse as Gata-Aura Takes Top Prize

Veteran motoring enthusiast Sati Gata-Aura has won the Best of Show award at the 53rd Africa Concours d’Elegance, held on Sunday at the Nairobi Racecourse, with his restored 1947 MG TC.

Gata-Aura, 79, presented the British sports car in a bright green finish, earning top marks from the judges for its authenticity and condition. A regular participant since 1985, this year’s win marks his fourth overall title at the event. Gata-Aura carried out the restoration work himself, underscoring his long-standing commitment to classic car preservation.

“It takes a lot of hard work and good preparation to finish well,” he said. “There’s no point in cars lying at home if people can’t look at them. It’s best to invest in them, bring them out, and let people enjoy the cars.”

Among returning competitors was Veronica Duder, 41, who entered her family’s 1934 Rolls Royce Boattail after a four-year absence. Nicknamed Rollsy, the yellow vehicle featured minor cosmetic updates and was awarded third place in the master’s class, a category for previous winners. The car was originally used to deliver milk in Kiambu in the 1950s.

Duder began participating in the Concours as a way to spend time with her father, collector John Wroe. Over time, her interest in vintage vehicles developed into a personal passion. Her family featured prominently in this year’s results, winning four awards in total. Her father-in-law, Mike Duder, received the ‘Most Elegant Car’ award for his 1947 Essex Super Six. 

Her brother, Adrian Wroe, won the master’s class with a 1930 Ford Model A Tudor. Her husband, James Duder, placed second overall with a 1928 Ford Model A pickup.

Chirag Soni, a frequent entrant, debuted a newly restored 1969 Cadillac Deville. The large white saloon, which he discovered abandoned in a friend’s garden, was 70 percent complete at the time of the show but still attracted attention for its restoration quality and distinctive American design.

“It’s too big to park just anywhere, so I can’t take it to most places,” Soni said. 

He noted that managing his collection requires a balance of time and family commitments. He chose to enter a new vehicle this year instead of re-entering a previous winner.

Dr Kevit Desai, who won the 51st edition of the event, returned with two cars: a 1974 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC and a 1968 Jaguar 420. Desai, an engineer and advocate for technical training, described the Concours as “the greatest skills event in the country.”

This year’s edition featured over 78 entries across various categories. Participants ranged in age from 13 to 90 and included representatives from vocational institutions and specialist car workshops. The organisers continue to emphasise the event’s role in promoting automotive skills and preserving motoring heritage.

In the motorcycle category, Rick Agagliate, 65, secured second place with a rebuilt 1926 Triumph 550 SD. Agagliate, who last entered the event ten years ago, restored the motorcycle with the help of a specialist engineer, fabricating many parts from scratch. 

“It’s so temperamental,” he said. “You can start it now, then the next time you try, it refuses.”

The top prize in the motorcycle class went to Dominique Antoine, 77, for his 1925 Triumph 550 SD, the oldest entry at this year’s event. A retired aircraft engineer, Antoine spent five years restoring the vehicle, which had belonged to his uncle. Many of the parts were either fabricated locally or manufactured in the UK.

Several historic vehicles were also on display. These included a 1911 Ford Model T, used in the First World War and featured in the films Out of Africa and The Flame Trees of Thika, as well as a 1926 Riley, reportedly the first car to complete the Nairobi-Mombasa route, despite suffering 56 punctures.